A Garden Grove man suspected of setting a 15-acre fire at Peters Canyon Regional Park in Orange will be arraigned on charges of arson this week, authorities said. Jeff Williams, 29, allegedly was spotted setting the blaze near the park's center at about 3:30 p.m. Tuesday by a jogger who then contacted authorities, according to Orange Fire Department Capt. Ian Macdonald. Williams' bail has been set at $50,000, according to the Orange County Sheriff's Department.

April 28, 1994 | RICK VANDERKNYFF, Rick VanderKnyff is a free-lance writer who contributes regularly to The Times Orange County Edition

Peters Canyon Regional Park, the most recent addition to the county park system, is a rolling swath of green that straddles the Orange-Tustin border, with a lake at the north end, eucalyptus groves at the south and a well-developed trail system. Since it opened a year ago, the 354-acre park has become a popular destination for mountain bikers, hikers, trail runners, equestrians and nature enthusiasts.

Re "Activists Angry Over Fate of Cats," (April 26): I can understand that Boeing Co. wanted to remove the cats from its Seal Beach property and perhaps it is unfortunate that the earlier agreement about these animals was not honored. However, by far the larger issue is that a professional pest control company would dump these cats in parkland in "an outlying part of Orange County." That these cats were probably eaten by coyotes is the best one might hope for. A far worse possibility is that they might have survived to prey on the native birds and wildlife of the area.

A new hope for commuters struggling with traffic congestion on the Costa Mesa Freeway was unveiled by city and county officials Thursday with fanfare and a dash of controversy. For the first time, a 5-mile extension of Jamboree Road was opened to commuters Thursday. The $30-million addition stretches from Irvine Boulevard in Tustin to Santiago Canyon Road in Orange. Within the next year, officials plan to extend the road even farther, through the El Toro Marine Corps Air Station.

Happy Trails--The new year will bring the opening of a seven-mile trail connecting Anaheim Hills with Peters Canyon Regional Park. The trail heads south through Tustin and links with San Diego Creek before ending at Upper Newport Bay Ecological Reserve. The trail is part of the interconnecting hike, bike and equestrian trails being developed by the Environmental Management Agency.

A plan to preserve the county's regional park system in areas that become part of new or existing cities ran into trouble Wednesday when three of the five members of the Local Agency Formation Commission objected to it. The plan was proposed Tuesday by the Board of Supervisors, which asked the commission to prohibit development on regional parkland when it approves annexation or incorporation proposals.

Orange County's 17 regional parks are as understaffed and short of funds as are its public gardens, and they also welcome volunteer help. In April the county formalized its Adopt-a-Park program to add focus to those efforts. "Our program is modeled after the Caltrans's Adopt-a-Highway program, which has been incredibly successful," says Kathie Matsuyama, senior landscape architect at the county's Environmental Management Agency.

A 37,000-acre swath of Orange County that stretches from the ocean to the foothills -- property that once was part of historic Irvine Ranch -- was designated Tuesday a national landmark. National Park Service Director Fran P. Mainella said the designation was in recognition of one of the best examples of preserved habitats and biological and geological characteristics in the country. The landmark designation was part of a brief ceremony held at Crystal Cove State Park and attended by Gov.

Orange County's major developer announced Wednesday the availability of $20 million to preserve, restore and enhance access to more than 30,000 acres of land already donated or earmarked for donation as open public space. Under the plan by the Irvine Co.